Head phone ear protection

[ruffdog]

I, like the OP, find that most ear muffs are just a bit too small and will be uncomfortable. I have PLENTY of nice muffs that the wife can wear but only the Viking muffs will fit me, even over my trucker caps. I also wear foam ear plugs with equal success. After years of wearing ear protection on the job, all day, wearing them a few hours at a time mowing or cutting wood is easy enough.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Lots of info/advise, thank you. Another detail with my current earmuffs is when I turn my head, it allows noise in. I do have foam ear plugs, but I was mainly using them to stop hearing my wife snoring. Yes, women do snore. I stopped using after 10 years or so because I finally had enough with the (hard to describe feeling) when I woke up. It would be nice to hear incoming calls, or music, but with the NC muffs using now, still have to crank tunes to hear, defeating purpose. making me thing of earbuds and muffs as a possible solution.

 

[bigtiller]

I use various types of hearing protection depending on the situation (I too have a big melon). The simplest and cheapest option would be soft foam ear plugs inserted correctly (Howard leight, etc), which are nice when it's hot out.
View attachment 876794

But if your preference is ear muffs, I have experience with several sets of Bose noise cancelling over the ear headphones as well as noise cancelling earbuds that I use on the ZRT or when using gas tools, but not a fan of over the ear when it's hot out & not a fan of earbuds for more than 2 hrs at a time. I wear glasses with my over the ear headphones without any issues.

When at an indoor range, I double up with foam plugs and electronic impact muffs, when shooting outdoors, just electronic muffs.

If $ isn't an issue, for overall comfort, I prefer the newer Bose Ultra noise canceling over the ear headphones, their newest offering has larger cups and more adjustment, 3 levels of noise canceling adjustment, but are pricey at close to 4 bills. They are hands down the most comfortable over the ear headphones I've ever used.

That's the problem. I have watched so many people insert them incorrectly and then complain about the noise. I have shown them the correct way to do it but they almost always go back to using one hand the next time we get together.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

never knew there was a wrong way. I always twisted them to contract them, stick in ear, then they would expand and voila...

 

[AirOpsMgr]

never knew there was a wrong way. I always twisted them to contract them, stick in ear, then they would expand and voila...

For proper fit and comfort, roll, pull & hold ... most forget to pull the ear a bit to straighten the canal

 

[bigtiller]

Lots of info/advise, thank you. Another detail with my current earmuffs is when I turn my head, it allows noise in. I do have foam ear plugs, but I was mainly using them to stop hearing my wife snoring. Yes, women do snore. I stopped using after 10 years or so because I finally had enough with the (hard to describe feeling) when I woke up. It would be nice to hear incoming calls, or music, but with the NC muffs using now, still have to crank tunes to hear, defeating purpose. making me thing of earbuds and muffs as a possible solution.

I found an easier fix for that. I put a white noise machine on the headboard close to my ears. I have the volume set high enough that the sudden loud noises blend in with the machine and doesn't wake me but I can still slightly hear her normal volume.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

For proper fit and comfort, roll, pull & hold ... most forget to pull the ear a bit to straighten the canal

Yes, I guess I do that as well. Holding it keeps in place as it expands.

 

[AirOpsMgr]

Lots of info/advise, thank you. Another detail with my current earmuffs is when I turn my head, it allows noise in. I do have foam ear plugs, but I was mainly using them to stop hearing my wife snoring. Yes, women do snore. I stopped using after 10 years or so because I finally had enough with the (hard to describe feeling) when I woke up. It would be nice to hear incoming calls, or music, but with the NC muffs using now, still have to crank tunes to hear, defeating purpose. making me thing of earbuds and muffs as a possible solution.

Even my older Bose NC headphones worked well on the ZRT, didn't need to crank the volume, but the newer Bose Ultra fit all the way over my ears due to larger cups and are perfect for me. I've actually taken calls on them while mowing and the people I'm talking to can hear me fine, they say there is some background noise, but no one ever thought I was on a mower .... but again, pricey!

 

[bigtiller]

For proper fit and comfort, roll, pull & hold ... most forget to pull the ear a bit to straighten the canal

Yep, pull the upper ear up and out, then insert the rolled end of the plug. And it needs to be done quickly, with a fresh, new plug, the foam expands rather fast if it has no resistance.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

lol... I reuse plugs all the time. The older they are, the slower they expand. I don't have a big earwax problem either. If the look/feel dirty, change them out.